Spring Fling: The Lavender Lemon Drop Martini

Spring is in the air! We’ve sprung our clocks forward and now we’re ready to soak in some of that new found sunshine – with a new cocktail in our hands! We all know that spring is a time to look forward to beautiful flowers, longer days and the beginning of backyard entertaining. In order to welcome this time of year with open arms, we introduce you to a cocktail that may become your official drink of spring: the Lavender Lemon Drop Martini.

The key to this drink is the addition of lavender which is a member of the mint family, making it the perfect culinary herb to add into your springtime cocktail lineup. By taking advantage of lavender’s sweet, floral notes in homemade simple syrup, your martini takes on that special springtime twist you’re looking for.

Instructions:
1. Using fine grater, grate lemon rind from one lemon onto small plate. Add 2-3 tablespoons of sugar and mix to combine. On another small plate, pour 2 tablespoons of lavender syrup.
2. Dip martini glass into syrup, coating rim then dip the rim into lemon sugar mixture.
3. Place all liquid ingredients into an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake it like you mean it! (15-20 seconds at least!)
4. Strain contents into sugar rimmed martini glasses and enjoy!

This cocktail is simple to make and guaranteed to get you into that springtime state of mind. Add the syrup to lemonade, add ice and club soda to the recipe above or choose gin over vodka for other variations on the drink. No matter what, this Lavender Lemon Drop Martini is sure to have you skipping your way into spring before you know it.